Thread by @WHO

Media briefing on #COVID19 with @DrTedros pscp.tv/w/cZPw9jI2MTAy…

"Yesterday, we concluded a very productive #WHA73.

We saw unprecedented solidarity with Heads of Government from around the world beaming into the World Health Assembly to discuss lessons, challenges and collective next steps to tackle the #COVID19 pandemic"-@DrTedros

"I want to thank
🇨🇭President @s_sommaruga
🇿🇦President @CyrilRamaphosa
🇨🇳President Xi
🇰🇷President @moonriver365
🇫🇷President @EmmanuelMacron
🇨🇴 President @IvanDuque
🇵🇾 President @MaritoAbdo
🇩🇪Chancellor Merkel
..."-@DrTedros #COVID19 #WHA73

"I want to thank Prime Ministers
🇧🇧@miaamormottley
🇧🇹 @PMBhutan Tshering
🇪🇸 @sanchezcastejon
🇮🇹 @GiuseppeConteIT
🇹🇻 Natano
🇻🇳 Phuc
..."-@DrTedros #COVID19 #WHA73

"I want to thank
🇪🇺 President @vonderleyen
🇺🇳SG @antonioguterres
& all Member State representatives for joining #WHA73 & signing up to a historic consensus resolution on #COVID19 and the way ahead"-@DrTedros

"The #WHA73 resolution sets out a clear roadmap of the critical activities and actions that must be taken to sustain and accelerate the #COVID19 response at the national and international levels"-@DrTedros

"It [#WHA73 resolution] assigns responsibilities for both the WHO and its member states, and captures the comprehensive whole of government and whole of society approach we have been calling for since the beginning of the #COVID19 outbreak"-@DrTedros

"If implemented [#WHA73 resolution], this would ensure a more coherent, coordinated and fairer #COVID19 response that saves both lives and livelihoods"-@DrTedros

"The landmark #WHA73 resolution underlines WHO’s key role in promoting access to safe, effective health technologies to fight the #COVID19 pandemic.

I welcome Member States’ commitment to lift all barriers to universal access to vaccines, diagnostics and therapeutics"-@DrTedros

"This includes 4⃣ critical points from the resolution:

1⃣that there is a global priority to ensure the fair distribution of all quality essential health technologies required to tackle the #COVID19 pandemic"-@DrTedros

"This includes 4⃣ critical points from the #WHA73 resolution:

2⃣that relevant international treaties should be harnessed where needed, including the provisions of the TRIPS agreement"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"This includes 4⃣ critical points from the #WHA73 resolution:

3⃣ that #COVID19 vaccines should be classified as a global public good for health in order to bring the pandemic to an end"-@DrTedros

"This includes 4⃣ critical points from the #WHA73 resolution:

4⃣ that collaboration to promote both private sector & govt-funded R&D should be encouraged. This includes open innovation across all relevant domains & the sharing of all relevant information with WHO"-@DrTedros

"An important collaborative response to the #WHA73 resolution will be the #COVID19 technology platform proposed by 🇨🇷, which we will launch on the 29th of May, which aims to lift access barriers to effective vaccines, medicines & other health products"-@DrTedros

"I am glad we are making progress on the research and development agenda, which was mapped out in February at the R&D meeting convened by WHO"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"That roadmap has now given rise to the solidarity trials, which now include 3,000 patients in 320 hospitals across 17 countries and to the Access to #COVID19 Tools Accelerator"-@DrTedros

"We still have a long way to go in the #COVID19 pandemic.

In the last 24h, there have been 106,000 cases reported to WHO – the most in a single day since the outbreak began. Almost two thirds of these cases were reported in just four countries"-@DrTedros

"But, in good news, it has been particularly impressive to see how countries like the Republic of #Korea have built on their experience of MERS to quickly implement a comprehensive strategy to find, isolate, test & care for every case, & trace every contact"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"This was critical to the Republic of #Korea curtailing the first wave and now quickly identifying and containing new outbreaks.

However, we’re very concerned about the rising numbers of cases in low- and middle-income countries"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"Governments in the #WHA73 outlined their primary goal of supressing transmission, saving lives and restoring livelihoods.

And WHO is supporting Member States to ensure supply chains remain open and medical supplies reach health workers and patients"-@DrTedros #COVID19

"As we battle #COVID19, ensuring health systems continue to function is an equally high priority as we recognize the risk to life from any suspension of essential services, like child immunisation"-@DrTedros

"#COVID19 is not the only challenge the 🌍 is facing.
The climate crisis is causing increasingly strong storms, abnormal weather patterns & catastrophic shocks.
Super #CycloneAmphan is one of the biggest in years & is currently bearing down on Bangladesh & India"-@DrTedros

"Our thoughts are with those affected & we recognize that like with #COVID19 there's a serious threat to life, particularly the poorest & most marginalized communities.
WHO continues to offer support to 🇧🇩&🇮🇳 to tackle both COVID-19 & the effects of the #CycloneAmphan"-@DrTedros

"I want to end by emphasizing that there is continued hope.

The last person who was being treated for #Ebola in #DRC recovered and was discharged on May 14.

On that day, the @MinSanteRDC announced the beginning of the 42-day countdown to the end of the outbreak"-@DrTedros

"We now have 36 days to go but new #Ebola cases could still emerge, as we have seen before"-@DrTedros #DRC

"The #COVID19 pandemic has taught and reinforced many lessons:

Health is not a cost; it’s an investment.

To live in a secure world, guaranteeing quality #HealthForAll is not just the right choice; it’s the smart choice"-@DrTedros

The full briefing on #COVID19 by @DrTedros 👇
bit.ly/2XeGYJV